Division Director's Message
Pictured with me, Robert Gall, are Richard Rotunno (right) and James Dye (left), both senior scientists within the division. During the past year I took an eight-month sabbatical leave to assume the Lead Scientist position for the U. S. Weather Research Program (USWRP). Rich served in the capacity of Interim Director while Jim took the helm during September and October when Rich was in Italy participating in the Mesoscale Alpine Project (MAP).
Division Overview
The Mesoscale and Microscale Meteorology (MMM) Division is one of nine programs or divisions within the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). The mission of MMM is one of basic research to advance the fundamental understanding of mesoscale and microscale processes and to improve the modeling, observation, and prediction of these processes. The Division's research ranges from basic to applied. However, for the direct transfer of knowledge to benefit society, we rely on collaborative efforts with other NCAR divisions and programs and University Corporation for Atmospheric (UCAR) programs whose missions are more directly aligned to technology transfer. Much of our research also involves collaborations with scientists outside the division, especially scientists at universities.
The division is organized into five science groups, a computing system management group, and administrative services including support to an extensive Visitor Program. It consists of 71 staff with 39 scientists, including 15 senior scientists and 1 senior scientist emeritus, and 12 project scientists. Thirteen scientists/project scientists hold joint appointments with other NCAR or UCAR divisions/programs. Collocated with the division is a group, lead by David Jorgensen, from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL). The group specializes in airborne dual-Doppler observations of mesoscale systems and augments the MMM program in mesoscale observations. The division is also honored to have three Senior Research Associates: William Bonner, Joachim Kuettner, and John Latham, and four Affiliate Scientists: Lance Bosart (SUNY), Larry Mahrt (Oregon State University), Bjorn Stevens (University of California, Los Angeles [appointment commences in January 2000]), and Richard Reed (University of Washington).
An external advisory committee assists the division in determining its scientific direction. The committee currently includes Bruce Albrecht, University of Miami; Alan Blyth, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology; Eugenia Kalnay, NOAA/NWS/NCEP; Joseph Tribbia, Climate and Global Dynamics Division, NCAR; Roger Wakimoto, University of California, Los Angeles; and James Wilson, Atmospheric Technology Division/Research Applications Program, NCAR. The advisory committee is scheduled to meet again during a divisional retreat to be held in the Spring of 2000.
Division Scientific Themes
Over the past fiscal year the division solidified its emphasis in the two major program areas described in last year's Annual Scientific Report. One program, the Prediction of Precipitation Weather Systems (PPWS) Program, coordinated by Joseph Klemp, is designed to advance the understanding and prediction of significant precipitation events in order to reduce forecast errors toward the limits of predictability. The other program, the Cloud and Surface Processes and Parameterization (CaSPP) Program, is designed to quantify the large-scale effects of mesoscale and microscale processes and to develop physically based methods to account for these effects in large-scale models. Mitchell Moncrieff coordinated the CASPP Program in FY 99; Margaret LeMone will be the coordinator in FY 00. The latter program addresses the parameterization problem in both climate simulation and prediction and in weather forecasting models.
The purpose of the two primary programs is to facilitate communications between researchers within the division, in other NCAR divisions, and with scientists outside NCAR working on common programs. Through this communication process the programs identify areas where collaboration and coordination of efforts help to achieve the goals of the program and will facilitate the process for seeking funding for the program either from NSF or from other external sources. The division's Scientific Strategic Plan defines these programs and their goals in detail (http://www.mmm.ucar.edu/mmm/stratplan.html).
In addition, the division supports activities defined by individual scientists that may not be directly related to the major programs. Here, the goal is to provide research opportunities that could become the impetus for moving the science forward in new, unexpected directions leading to possible future emphases or changes in the focus of the division's major scientific goals. Within this portion of the program, four smaller research programs are emphasized because of their uniqueness, the fact that they represent scientific research that is expanding at the national/international level, or because they complement larger programs elsewhere within NCAR. They are (1) Ice Microphysics Research, (2) Wildfire Research, (3) Geophysical Turbulence Research, and (4) Chemistry in Clouds Research. These programs and their goals are also described in the division's Scientific Strategic Plan.
Our FY 99 Annual Scientific Report is organized around both NCAR's Program Plan and the MMM Division's Scientific Strategic Plan. Eight significant accomplishments, covering a range of weather and climate topics, are highlighted separately. Sections I and III summarize how MMM contributes to NCAR's major research emphases and focussed science programs, as described in NCAR's FY 99 Program Plan. Section II describes the division's scientific results; the outline patterns MMM's Scientific Strategic Plan and features the themes described above. Section IV features contributions the division has made in the areas of community service and education. Section V summarizes the division's computing and administrative activities over the past year. Sections VI and VII, respectively, feature the division's 'published' or 'in press' refereed and non-refereed publications, and lists of staff and visitors and collaborators through 30 September 1999.